Defroster for refrigerating plants



with tlieresultfthat the refrigerating na chinery may be operated at the minimum in- V, stead of the maximum capacity in order to' obtain and maintain the proper refrigeration s tends around half the'circumference of the.

P tented Oct. is, 1 92 6 Ira-rear I MILTON w. BROWNE, on KANSAS CITY, 1VIIS S0'UBI.-

" were Y nnr'nos'rnn FOR meme-meme rnaivrs.

' Application filed Janiiary 9, 1926. Serial in 80,387.

The present invention relates to improve merits in means, for depositing refrigerant pipes or coils in cold storage plants, pack: mghouses and other refrigerated rooms or compartments, and especially those wherein perishable food products are'stored.

;..The primary object of theinvention is to provide novel and improvedmeans whereby conservation of refrigeration is possible, it

enabling the refrigerant pipes to be kept.

free of frost and frozen mixture, or substantially so, in refrigerated rooms of all kinds whereby, the full benefit and efficiency. of the refrigeration maybe obtained andthe accumulation of excessive frozen moisture may be promptly and economically removed,

andtemperature iirsuch rooms. v

"To these and other. ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and comment of the invention;

6 looking toward the right in Figure 1;. and.

binations and arrangements of parts, all. of which will be hereinafter more fully-de- .j I a p lITilVGS or-cutter blades may be secured at scribed, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification. I V In the accompanying drawing Figurelis aview of adefroster constructed in accordance withthe. preferred GITlbOdif Figure 2 represents, on an enlarged scale 7 and in axial section, the cutter memb'enand the guard which is therewith;

Figures representsan end view ofthe' cutter member,'on an enlarged scale, and

preferably associated Figured is a fragmentary view'showing V in perspective a portion of one of the cutters.

. -clean ,condition or substantially freeffrom frost and frozen mixture, therebyinsuring maximum refrigeration efficiency. of therei p I p pipes of thefadjacent rows so that it may act Similar arts are designated by the same reference c aracters in the several views.

According to the present nvention, the

' refrigerant pipes within refrigerated compartments or rooms can be maintained in a frigerantpipes, as the even and unvarying refrigeration through the. refrigerant pipes ruption, and with maximum efficlency although at a minimum of its capacity toeffect the required amount-of refrigeration, with a corresponding reduction inthe expense of frost-or frozen mixture on the pipes by a operation; andthese results may be obtained Without the necessity of shutting down the refrigeration and without the necessity of chopp ng or hammering thejfrost and frozen mixturefrom tlie 'refrigerant'pipesand the attendant expense and ob ections.to such 7.

methods.

The f defroster,

operating means therefor which preferably according .to the present invention, comprises 'a cutter member 1 and comprises, aportable electric motor Qwhich is suitably coupled or attached to the cute ter member. a suitable number of knives or'cuttingblades 3 which are spaced around the circumference The cutter member comprises 7" of the cutter member and they also prefer- 1 ably have a pitchv sothat theyextend in a direction helically" of the circumference thereof. As shown, for example, each knife or cutter blade has a twist whereby it excutter member as it proceeds from'one end at- -tac'hed to one. end of the cutter member to the other end thereof which is attached to the other endofthe cutter member. .The

their ends in diiferent'ways. Preferably,

and as shown, the ends of the blades'arefixed i to the outer ends, of arms 4 and 5 which pro ject radially fromhubsjti and}, the latter being keyed or otherwise "fixedto a supportcontinuous cutting edge 3 'which, asshown in Fig. 4,.is formed by two surfaces, one. of

which is a surface of revolution. and the other is dished and merges into the. first. mentioned surface,;the dished I surfaceform- 'ing' a' frost discharge means. f.

circumference formed by the circumferen- Tl1ecutter'.meinber is used'by placing its pipes or coils to-Ibedefrosted, with the axis of the cutter member arranged transversely of the length of the pipe, and where the pipes or coils are arranged in closely spaced rows,

the. c'utter meinb er is interposed between the simultaneously thereon, While. the cutter forwardly and to thereby cut through the ture' therefrom; and as the removal of the 8 immediately outside of the hubs frost or frozen mixture progresses, the cutter member is shifted or moved forwardly along the pipe or pipes to edect the removal of the frost or frozen mixture throughout the length of the pipe or pipes. Owing to the shallow thickness of the knives or cutter blades in a direction radially of the cutter member, each knife or cutter member is enabled to cut into the frost or frozen mixture with minimum obstruction therefrom, and the frost or frozen mixture detached by the knives is free to discharge past the inner side of the knives, thus facilitating the discharge of the detached frost or frozen mixture and avoiding clogging of the cutter member. Preferably, the cutter member tapers in diameter from one end toward the other, the cutting edges of the knives being arranged spirally in the surface of the cone, as shown, so that one end of the cutter memher will be smaller in diameter than the other, thus facilitating the insertion of the cutter member into the spaces between rows of refrigerant pipes or adjacent convolutions of refrigerant coils. V

A guard is preferably provided to protect the knives or cutter blades during hand ling of the defroster. In the present instance, a cage-like guard which may be constructed of wire or similar material is employed, it comprising rings 9 and 10 which are connected by longitudinally extending members 11, and the rings are connected by spokes or rods 12 and 13 to hubs 1st and 15, the latter being loosely mounted on the sleeve 6' and 7. The rings 9 and 10 of the guardare ofsuificient diameter to permit the cutter member to revolve freely within the guard and, hence, the guard will not interfere with the operation of the cutter member.

Different means may be employed for revolving or operating the cutter head. Preferably, a small portable electric motor 2 of the type adapted to operate from current taken by a cord extension 2 from ordinary alternating or direct current lighting or power service systems is employed, the motor being preferably equipped with a handle 16 which serves as means for carrying and manipulating the defroster. The driving motor may be connected in different ways to the cutter head. As shown, the shaft 17 of the motor is equipped with a coupling sleeve 18 wlr ch may be threaded or otherwise fixed thereon, and this coupling sleeve is adapted to detachably receive the. adjacent end of the sleeve 8 of the cutter head, a screw 19 or longitudinally within the cutter head sleeve 8 and thus provides a strong and rigid sup port therefor.

The present invention provides a defroster frozen mixture, as it is detached from the pipes or coils, is free to discharge from the cutter head, thus avoiding clogging. Moreover the manner in which the frost or frozen mixture is cut from the pipes avoids scat tering of the detached frost or frozen mix" ture, thereby. avoiding distribution of the particles of detached frost or frozen mixture among the food products undergoing refrigeration. or in storage. The circumferential pitch of tne knives produces a shearing action upon the frost or frozen mixturathus facilitating its removal.

I claim as my invention 1. A defroster for refrigerant pipes and coils comprising a'revoluble outer member embodying a series ofspaced apart, helical, radially shallow knives, said knives having cutting edges formed by two surfaces, one

being a surface of revolution, and the other being dished andmerging into said first surface, said dished surface forming a frost discharge member.

2. A'defroster for refrigerantrpipes and coils comprising a revoluble cutter member embodying a series of relatively fixed knives which are spaced apart and arranged spirally in the surface of a cone whereby said member is reduced in diameter toward one end, and operating means connected to the opposite larger end of said member.

3. coils comprising a revoluble cutter member embodying a series of relatively fixed knives which are spaced apart and arranged spirally in the surface of a cone, and a conical cage-like guard loosely mounted. on said member and within which said member "is freely revoluble. i

A defroster for refrigerant pipes and my hand. I

1 ninron w. aownn 

